3-D Makes 3 Kinds of Official Animation at Disney

Pixar does their thing, and Disney is returning to more hand-drawn features. Now, according to Reuters, the Walt Disney Co. and director Robert Zemeckis (Polar Express, Monster House) have joined to create a new company that will work entirely with 3-D animation.

While Zemeckis’ has already directed two such movies (see above) and is currently in production on another (Beowulf for Columbia Pictures) it is relatively uncharted territory for Disney. Granted, Disney has released 3-D versions of some films (Chicken Little, Nightmare Before Christmas), but they were not created using the performance capture method used by Zemeckis.

Performance capture is the process of actors being covered with tiny sensors that allow their movements to be recorded and transfered to animation by computers. The images, when viewed with the proper eye-wear, create 3-D effects previously unattainable.